Parachute attachment for model gliders



March 4, 1952 w, con- 2,587,699

PARACHUTE ATTACHMENT FOR MODEL GLIDERS Filed Dec. 10, 1948 INVENTOR BY II k ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PARACHUTE ATTACHIWENTFOR MODEL GLIDERS William J. Cotter, Washington, D. 0.

Application December 10, 1948, Serial No. 64,527

1 Claim. (01. 46-80) This invention relates to toys, and moreparticularly, has reference to a parachute attachment for toy glider.

Parachute attachments for gliders used as toys are not in themselvesbroadly new. However, so far as I am aware, all such attachments as haveheretofore been devised have been such as require expensiveconstruction, rather complicated mechanisms, and otherwise have defeatedtheir very purposes of providing an efficient parachute attachment for atoy glider that yet will be commercially practicable.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide anattachment of the character described that will not require anymodification to the glider that carries the parachute to an extent aswould aifect fully efficient normal performance of the glider.

Another important object is to provide a parachute attachment asdescribed that can be constructed at low cost, is simple in operation,and is adapted to be discharged free of the glider at a certain point inthe gliders flight, without possibility of the parachute fouling inportions of the glider.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combination of parts, hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed."

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a glider equipped with a parachuteattachment constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of that portion ofthe glider to which the parachute attachment is secured.

Fig. 3 is a, view partly in side elevation and partly in section of theglider body, showing the position of the parts after the parachuteattachment has been released.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the parachute and figure suspendedtherefrom.

Referringto the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 5 designatesthe body of a glider. At this point, it should be mentioned that theglider to which the parachute attachment is secured is not in itselfnew, and is not claimed as part of the present invention.

The glider as mentioned embodies foldable wings 6, the wings 6 beingillustrated in Fig. 1

2 a in an intermediate folded position. These wings are swivelled at 1to the body, and are adapted to be brought to their unfolded or extendedposition by the contraction of rubber band 1' secured to both of thewings. In other words, the wings 6 are adapted to be folded flat againstboth sides of the body, so that they will present no resistance to air.Then, after the wings have been folded flat in this manner, the glideris catapulted into the air, by means of a rubber band or the like (notshown) adapted to engage in the notch 8' of the body. After the gliderreaches a point at which the rubber band 1' overcomes the air resistancewhich has been holding the wings 6 fiattened, the rubber band 1'contracts, and the wings are snapped to the position illustrated in Fig.3, whereupon the glider can descend in a long glide.

When the wings 6 snap to the position illustrated in Fig. 3, stop meansare embodied in the glider to prevent movement past the desired extendedposition. This stop means embodies a yoke that includes the pins 8pivotally mounted in the respective wings, arms 9, and cross mem-, berl0 connecting the arms.

All the parts so far described constitute portions of the glider aspresently constructed, and no claim is made to said glider or to any ofsaid portions in and of themselves.

In accordance with the invention, I secure rigidly to the abovementioned yoke, or form integrally therewith, a finger ll. cured in anydesired manner, as for example, finger II can be a length of spring wirebent around the connecting or cross member l0, and soldered so as to berigid with the cross member. In the folded position of the wings 6, thefinger I l extends upwardly and forwardly as illustrated in Figs. 1 and2. However, when the wings 6 are snapped to unfolded position, thefinger II will extend rearwardly, but still upwardly, as illustrated inFig. 3.

The parachute attachment used with the glider is fashioned to include adepending figure [2, that can be formed from a piece of cardboardmaterial or the like cut to shape to simulate an airman. The parachuteis designated l3, and can be a square of thin paper or silk material.

Shrouds l4 and I5 connect the parachute to the figure 12, there beingtwo pairs of shrouds illustrated in the present instance. These arerigid members, and can be fashioned from bamboo strips. Preferably, thefigure I2 is secured to the shrouds by providing a small string l6 thatextends through the figure, this being secured to the lower ends of thebamboo strips or This can be seshrouds H by means of adhesive sleeves H.Another string I8 is secured by sleeves l9 to the shrouds IS, in thesame manner.

At its lower end, the figure is formed with an opening 20, which can bereinforced by a grommet or the like.

In use of the parachute attachment, when the wings 6 are foldedrearwardly, the figure is positioned upon the,yoke in the mannerillustrated in Fig. 1, with the foot end of the figure positionedforward, and with finger ll received in the opening 20. The shrouds l4and I5 are extended between the folded wings 6, with theparachute 13being disposed alongside the rudder or tail portion of the glider. Thus,when the wings 6 are fully folded, the shrouds and parachute are fullyenclosed therebetween, andit has been found that they offer noresistance to air when the glider is impelled upwardly with its wingsfolded. Similarly, the figure l2 has been found to ofier no resistanceto air, because of its flat formation and its particular arrangementrelative to the gliderproper.

When the glider has reached its highest point, and has lostmomentum toan extent where the strength of the rubber band I will overcome thepressureof the air against the wings 6, the wings 6 will snap to theirunfolded position. The result is that the finger II will be caused todescribe, at high speed, an arc in moving from the position illustratedin Fig. 1 to the position illustrated in Fig. 3. As 'thefinger ll comesagainst the upper edge of the body'5, the figure [2 which has beencarried rearward with the finger, is

.jarred or snapped off the finger II, and the parachute attachment isreleased to float free of the glider, at the same time that the gliderbegins its descent.

It is to be noted that the bamboo shrouds l5 are incapable ofcontraction in the direction of their length, and as a result, when thebody of the parachute attachment swings rearwardly through theaforementioned arc with the yoke on which it is supported, the bambooshrouds are shifted endwise thereof, so as to bodily shift the parachuteI3 rearwardly jointly with shifting of the body on the yoke supportingsaid body, thus to cause the parachute l3 to clear the tail portion ofthe plane or glider concurrently with release of the parachute body fromthe yoke.

What is claimed is:

In an aerial toy of the type having an elongated body, wings swivellycarried by the body which fold adjacent opposite sides thereof duringthe launching of the toy, means carried by the body and connected to thewings for moving said wings into extended position when the pressure ofthe air against the Wings falls below a predetermined value, and a yokecarried by the wings and engageable with the body for arresting movementof the wings relative to the body when they have attained extendedposition, means for releasably holding a miniature parachute and figureon the toy and launching said parachute and figure when the wings attainextended position, said means comprising a finger carried by the yokeand movable therewith from an upwardly and forwardly extending positionrelative to the body of the toy to an upwardly and rearwardly extendingposition relative to the body of the toy, a miniature figure adapted tolie prone adjacent the body near the front end thereof, said figurehaving an opening extending therethrough for the reception of saidfinger, a miniature parachute adapted to hem folded position adjacentthe rear end of the body, and rigid shrouds-connected to theparachute'and to the figure and adapted to be engaged by the foldedwings, whereby when the wings move to extended position the shrouds willbe released to permit opening of the parachute and the finger will moveto its rearwardly inclined position to free the toy figure and permit itto float on the parachute free from the body.

. WILLIAM J. COTTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofv record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,218,330 Smith Mar. 6, 19171,795,946 Grimm Mar. 10, 1931 1,965,793 Crissey July 10, 1934 2,136,067Witte Nov. 8, 1938 2,221,012 Walker Nov. 12, 1940 2,268,487 Jacobs Dec.30, 1941

